Q. What are the restrictions regarding a large dump truck parking in a residential area? This occurs on my street in Santa Ana several times a week. If a fire truck had to pass, this might be iffy. Is there a city code prohibiting this hazard and eyesore, and, if so, how do I report it?

– Vicky Vasquez, Santa Ana

A. Not as attractive as a Canary Island date palm?

In your town, city law says that a commercial truck weighing more than 10,000 pounds – and here’s guessing that dump truck far exceeds this – can only park in a residential area for two hours. The operator has to be conducting business, too, like loading or unloading.

Cpl. Arthur Morales of the Santa Ana police says you can report the truck at 714-245-8200.

Q. In the evening, all lanes of the northbound Eastern (241) Toll Road can back up, due to traffic headed onto the eastbound Riverside (91) Freeway. For those of us transitioning to the westbound 91, the backup clears when we can get to the new, left lane near the end of the 241. It appears that the left shoulder of the 241 is wide enough to extend this fourth lane by about one-half mile just by repainting.

– Scott Brown, Yorba Linda

A. A spokeswoman for the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which operates that toll road, says the state demands a 10-foot-wide shoulder. So the TCA can’t squeeze in a 12-foot-wide lane, as well, that would go very far.

But salvation is coming.

“Design is currently under way to address the issue by adding an additional lane in each direction in that area,” spokeswoman Lisa Telles said. “The new lanes, which will be constructed in the median, will be between the Windy Ridge toll plaza and the connection to the 91 Freeway. … The design process began in December, and we expect construction to begin next year.”

Q. Most know that the state Vehicle Code is very strict about not having a television screen mounted in a car where it can be seen by the driver. How will this be applied to the new navigation units? Watching these while driving is a distraction to the driver, and not being able to see them defeats the very purpose of having them.

– Jack Smith, Lake Forest

A. Chris Goodwin, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in San Juan Capistrano, cited these exemptions:

•Vehicle-information displays.

•Global-positioning systems.

•Map displays.

•Enhancements to help drivers see to the side or back of their vehicles.

Fact of the week: More than 8,000 high school and college students have passed through the Santa Ana Police Department’s one-of-a-kind driver’s-training trailer during its four-year existence.

Besides having four regular simulators, the $350,000 trailer has four more that show sober students how badly they might drive while drunk. (Source: SAPD)

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